US Climate and Health Alliance

Climate Change and Extreme Heat- What You Can Do to Prepare

Abstract

Extreme heat conditions are defined as weather that is much hotter than average for a particular time and place – and sometimes more humid, too. Extreme heat is not just a nuisance; it kills hundreds of Americans every year and causes many more to become seriously ill.The heat index is a measure of how hot it feels when relative humidity is factored in with the actual air temperature. Relative humidity is the percentage of moisture in the air compared with the maximum amount of moisture the air can hold. Humidity is an important factor in how hot it feels because when humidity is high, water doesn’t evaporate as easily, so it’s harder for your body to cool off by sweating.

Resource Type
Report
Resource URL
https://www.cdc.gov/climateandhealth/pubs/extreme-heat-guidebook.pdf
Date
October 2016
Institution
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Organization Type
Us fed gov
Health and Human Impact
Heat illness/extreme temperature
Climate and Environmental Impact
Heat

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